Student resurgence convention concludes in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 November 2005, 12:43 GMT]
Students from Jaffna schools assembled Friday at the Kailasapathy Hall Jaffna Campus to discuss issues confronting Tamil students in NorthEast. Head of Jaffna Students Federation, Mr Gunendran, presided the event. Organizers said this was the first event of this type arranged by the students in the NorthEast.

Mr.Sivagurunathan Rangeswaran hoisted the Tamil National flag at the start of the event.

Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University, Prof.Mr.Mohanathas, Principal of Manipay Uyarapulam Vidyalayam, Mrs.R.Shanmugaratnam, Head of the Educational College Jaffna, Mr.K.Thanapalan, and a Vembady Girls School student lit the ceremonial lamp.

Prof.Mr.Mohanathas and Mr.S.Thevarajah, Head of the Commerce Department at Jaffna University, delivered fecilitation speeches.

Several hundred school students along with academics from the Universities, school principals, teachers and other officials in the education sector participated in the convention.

Seminars exploring problems faced by the students at the convention included:

• Injustice to the Tamil students in University admissions - By C.Navaraj, student Hartley College, Point Pedro,
• Matters suppressed and distorted in Tamil curriculum - By Mr.Thanapalan Head of Educational College, Jaffna,
• Defects in Educational Policy - By C.Chandrakumar student Hindu College, Jaffna,
• The Humanitarian problems of the Tamils and impact on their Education - By Arunthavapalan Principal Driberg College, Chavakachcheri,
• The Tsunami and Tamil students - By N.Shanmugalingan Head Department of Sociology Jaffna University, and
• "Your answers to the problems of Tamil students" - A General discussion by the students.

Following the seminars students formed into groups and discussed other issues and difficulties faced by the students. The discussions led to the formation of four student committees to followup on the issues determined to be critical to the welfare of Tamil students in the NorthEast:

• Committee to study issues confronted by students on daily basis such as transportation, school books, safety.
• Committee to study reasons for student drop out and poverty levels of families of students
• Committee to study issues specific to female students, and
• Committee to study the problems of students at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.